Unmask
by redrccm
Summary: Ten years after the Hogwarts battle, the Ministry of Magic decides to throw a masquerade ball in honour of all those who fought. Until midnight, there were no foes, only friends. Draco and Hermione meet there. A few weeks later, both of them are receive invitations to teach at Hogwarts. After a fight with Ron, as she gets to know Draco better, she has to decide who she'll choose.
1. Chapter 1

' _The Minister of Magic requests the pleasure of the company of_

 _Mr. Malfoy  
at a masquerade ball to be held at Hogwarts  
on Saturday evening, January 17 at 21:00_

 _Attire: Black Tie.'_

Draco placed the invitation on the table in front of him carefully. He massaged his temples and sighed, finally resting his back against the soft leather chair. He reached for the calendar he kept on his desk and marked the date. He guessed the ministry never really got tired of making fun of him, of his status and of his past. But he could understand that. Their need to feel superior. He understood why they wanted to make fun of someone they considered inferior. After all, he had spent most of his early life doing that.

He knew very well what was the occasion for the ball. Ten years had passed since the Hogwarts battle. A battle in which all the ideals he had been raised on had been proven wrong. Draco ran a hand through his hair and stood. He looked out of the balcony. Outside, the snow fell from the sky covering the landscape with a thick, white coat. The coldness and the silence that reigned in the mansion at 7:30 filled him with sadness. His life was falling apart. His mother had died three months ago, his father died locked in Azkaban, two and a half years earlier. And his girlfriend went through all that with him, she helped him when he needed the most and, for that, he was forever grateful. But he could feel the distance between them growing and it was only a matter of time before the break up.

The man walked to the bedroom he was sharing with her. Draco laid by her side, enjoying the warmth and the peace her presence brought. Even to though he knew he wouldn't have the pleasure of her company for much longer, he enjoyed it for as long as he could.

"Please, Freya, we can work this out, I'm sure of it…" Draco pleaded, but the redhead was already walking out of the front door.

"I can't do this anymore, Draco, I… I can't be your babysitter. I can't mend you." The woman said with tears in her eyes, "I love you, I really do, but… I'm sorry. I have to leave."

She left the house and stood still outside with her small purse hanging on her shoulder and her reddish brown curls falling on her shoulders and he watched as she disappeared before him like a mirage. He went inside the house and breathed, trying to calm himself down.

' _Breathe in, breathe out, breath in, breathe ou… Oh, fuck it!'_

But he couldn't. He grabbed a vase and threw it against the wall in a fit of rage. His breathing was erratic and there were tears in his eyes. He rested his back against a wall and sunk to the ground, his face buried in his hands.

Now he was truly alone.

 **~X~**

 _'The Minister of Magic requests the pleasure of the company of :_

 _Ms. Granger_

 _at a masquerade ball to be held at Hogwarts_

 _on Saturday evening, January 17 at 21:00_

 _Attire: Black Tie'_

Hermione smiled proudly at the invitation she'd helped design. Yes, she was an auror, but the minister and the department responsible for the invitations often asked for her help, besides, she'd also created the concealing spell to be used until the time of the unmasking.

"What do you think?" She asked Ron.

"It looks great." He said with a sigh and without any excitement in his voice.

"What is it?" She placed one of her hands on his shoulder, the smile fading from her lips.

"It's nothing, don't worry." He continued trying to figure out how to use the newest Samsung Galaxy telephone, "I just… Can't seem to figure this contraption."

Ron had chosen the same career as his father and his newest fascination was cellphones.

"All you have to do to turn it on is press this button here on the right side." Hermione said and went to the kitchen, "Do you want tea?"

"Bloody hell, Hermione, is there something you don't know how to do?" Ron wasn't joking, not this time, this time, he was really annoyed and she noticed.

"What? Ron, what's wrong?" She asked actually concerned that time.

"What's wrong? _What's wrong?!_ You seem to be able to do your job and my job and still find time to make invitations and spells for the bloody ministry ball! You make me feel worthless!" Ron stood and started shouting at her.

"And do you think it's my fault if I was born a muggle? You grew up in this world, Ronald, you grew up in the middle of magic, you have a bloody flying car and wands and owls that deliver your messages. Where I grew up, there was none of this. I'm better than most because I actually like what I do and I want to do everything that I couldn't do when I was younger!" She defended herself, "I know how a cell phone works, because when we were in the 6th grade, my father bought a phone that looked just like this one."

"I'm sick and tired of you thinking you're better than everyone."

"I don't think I'm better than anyone. What the hell are you talking about, Ronald?"

"Well, that's what you just did, you just tried to prove that you're better than me."

"I was just trying to help." She ran a hand through her hair, "And if you think that all I do is get in your way, then perhaps you should just leave. After all, this is _my_ house, right?"

"I just might." Ron got up from the couch and started to gather his stuff. Then he just left.

Hermione groaned. Why did she have to ruin everything? She wouldn't tell him she regretted her decision, no, she was too proud to do that. But then, how would she face the lonely nights all on her own. For eight years Ron had lived with her and for eight years he had been her strength. He had been the reason for her to fight the PTSD from the battle and the sadness she felt when thinking of her parents. But how was she to face the pain alone? How was she to sleep in a cold bed every night looking at the empty space where he used to lay?

Well, apparently, she would have to figure that out. Because there was no way in hell she was going to contact him to say she was sorry, not now. Perhaps she would just have to learn to move on.

Now there was only one month before the ball and she had no one to go with.

She had to be strong and, even now, when she was suffering, she wanted to not suffer, to ignore the all the pain she felt and do what she had to do. And, at that moment, she needed to buy a dress.

That night, while she lay in bed, she couldn't sleep. There was this huge knot in her throat. She knew he would come back sooner or later, he did that sometimes, leaving her like that and, every single time he did that, it felt as bad as the first one; She felt the same way she did when Ron left her and Harry while they were searching for horcruxes. And one thought led to another. Hermione was reliving the battle, remembering all the people she didn't manage to save, seeing them die before her eyes. She cried. She cried all night.

 **~X~**

It was one of the first nights in three years that he slept by himself. In fact, he didn't sleep, he just laid there, staring at the ceiling. He was done crying. He was done drinking the pain away. He was done feeling. He was just numb. And yet, Draco, couldn't help but crave Freya's touch. He curled up on the bed and shut his eyes tight. He wanted to drown in the pain and never come back. He wanted to die.

But he still had one thing to do. Draco needed to go to that damned Hogwarts ball. He had to. He was too proud not to.

Being from a family as the Malfoy one, he was taught, ever since he was a child not to decline an invitation, even if it was from an enemy, after all, an event such as that would require the grace of his presence.

He laughed at that thought. It had been such a long time since he acted that convinced. Maybe it was the alcohol bringing out the worst in him. He never drank when he was with Freya, she didn't like it… No, he shouldn't think of her. He had allowed himself to fall for her. He had allowed her to get into his life too deep and when she went out, she simply tore it apart.

And as the days went by, in that dark, cold place he dared to call home, Draco watched the door with hope, tightening his chest, expecting her to just show up and walk through the front door like the hurricane she was. But she never came back.

During the first two weeks, he waited, he sat by the door, afraid to leave and not be there if she arrived. But after that… Then he gave up. Freya had never been out for that long before. And then his hope faded and he knew that it was time to move on. She wasn't coming back for him, not this time.

 **~X~**

Hermione had already brought the dress and even a nice suit for Ron, in case he came back and it was too late for him to get new clothes. Even after three weeks, she knew he would come back. Perhaps not before the party, but he knew he would attend. After all, it was a time for all to celebrate and be proud of. Hermione, Harry, Ron and pretty much all their friends were now on history books. They made a difference, they helped save the world. He _had_ to be there.

After so many years of him leaving and then coming back, she knew better than to wait by the door like a lost puppy. Of course the emptiness and silence of the house bothered her, of course the nightmares still came, but she had to learn to live with it. She might not have Ron forever, she was not naive to the point where she would believe that.

She went to work every day, but she didn't meet Ron there not even a single time. She also didn't look for him.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been so long. And he only realised that now, while walking through the hallways he knew so well. He was a bit late, but everyone was arriving with him anyways. While Draco was starting to like the idea of that ball, he didn't feel like meeting his old friends and having to put on this facade for them. Looking back now to the time when he was in Hogwarts - he did that a lot - he knew that he had no true friends, and, he had no one he wanted to encounter in that party. they would all ask the same questions and engage in obnoxious and superficial conversations with each other all night.

And all of his old friends had friends, they had a social life and Draco, well, he was still getting over a breakup that happened over a month ago. And that woman was his only comfort, his only friend. She was his world. But he tried not to think of that. It was time to move on.

As he looked around, Draco spotted a few familiar faces, but none which he was too close with. He walked down the stairs that led to the ballroom with grace, dressed in his perfectly fitted black suit and dark green tie.

When he handed in the invitation to a man whose face he couldn't see clearly no matter how much he tried, he was given something that looked like a black mask, he put it on his face, it molded perfectly. But how were they supposed to ide their faces when everybody was wearing the same exact mask? He asked himself as he stepped into the ballroom. Then he knew the answer right away, someone had enchanted the masks so none would recognize the other. It was genius and the spell worked amazingly.

He walked through the crowd, the beautiful music playing. He grabbed a glass of champagne they were serving and decided to see the other side of the room. He sipped on it as he saw the couples swirling around the room. A small smile played on his lips. He was so distracted with the sight that he didn't notice her coming towards him. And he bumped her. And he spilled his champagne on her expensive dress.

 **~X~**

Hermione arrived earlier than most and stayed in the ballroom. She didn't want to see who was coming, she didn't want to know before the party was over. She waited until the last moment to see if Ron was going to show up. Then she would be willing to give him some sort of second chance. But he didn't. Her patience was running out. She couldn't date someone who went in and out whenever he felt like it. She endured it for eight years.

And, even though she loved Ron, she had to try to move on.

When she walked down the hallways of the school, she felt nostalgic. Hermione remembered every single day when she studied there. The jokes, the company, the spells, the classes, the adventures. The three inseparable kids who roamed the halls in the best and worst of moments of their lives.

She entered the ballroom and admired the people there and how her spell had worked so well, how she couldn't recognize anyone. Hermione was proud of herself. She roamed the huge place, subconsciously searching for Ron's suit, she looked at the people dancing, she saw the people talking, she scanned the people entering the room.

She began to reconsider her choice of leaving him. He was there for her during the good and bad moments of her life. Even though he could be a jerk sometimes, she really loved him. During all the years she dated him, even after all the times he broke her apart, he always seemed to be able to mend her back together.

Hermione paced. Back and forth, making her way through the crowd. She passed by the dance floor and sipped on her champagne. Then she felt a bump and then she was all wet.

"I am so sorry." The man said.

Hermione took a deep breath clearly annoyed with what had just happened. He'd simply _ruined_ her dress.

"Don't worry about it, It's fine." She lied.

"No, it's not. I ruined your dress. Come on, let me fix this."

"There's no need for you to do that, really."

"Please." She heard a note of desperation in his voice. Perhaps he had an idea of just how much she paid for that dress.

"Okay." She sighed.

She followed him to somewhere where there were no people and saw as he took his wand out.

He waved it over her and, all of a sudden the stain disappeared.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"I'm so sorry." He said again.

"Don't worry about it." She replied. They were silent for a moment, then she said, "Come on, let's get something to drink."

He seemed to be a bit hesitant, but he ended up following her. It was hard to read someone wearing a concealing spell as good as the one she designed.

"So, how are you liking the party?" He asked.

"Yes, very much. I'm really enjoying the music." Hermione replied, "Did you come by yourself?"

"Yes. You?"

"Me too." Not by choice. She almost added. But she would sound too bitter. Hermione looked around, searching for Ron.

"Are you looking for someone?" Damn, that man was observant.

"No, I'm just having a look around. The decoration is so beautiful."

"I agree." He replied, she heard relief.

They both got champagne glasses and decided to seat down and talk.

"I work for the Ministry." She mentioned.

"Amazing. Then you must have been watching the preparations very closely."

"Well, yes…" She had a sip from her glass, she wasn't sure she should mention she helped designing the spells. Ron got so mad when she did that.

"They did an amazing job with the concealing spell. It was brilliant."

"Well, I... I helped design it." Her voice was low. It was almost like she was ashamed of admitting that and she didn't want him to think that she was bragging.

"Wow, you must be really talented, then." He told her.

"Thank you." She bit her lip. Well, he couldn't see it clearly anyway.

"What do you do there? I didn't know they had a separate department just for creating new spells."

"They don't. I'm actually an auror." She revealed. It wasn't much of a secret nowadays, "What do you do?"

"I… work from home." She noticed how uncomfortable he was talking about that, "Do you want to dance? I really like this song."

"Why not?"

 **~X~**

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Draco wasn't having much of a problem in keeping a decent conversation with someone. Especially a woman. And the one he was talking to seemed quite interesting and he was enjoying her company. As they danced, he could tell they both lost themselves to the music. They didn't care about each other or the people around them. They just wanted to forget. Forget about everything, about life and heartbreaks and disappointments. At least he wanted to.

The best place to lose oneself is in the middle of a crowd.

As the songs changed, they continued to dance. Until both were tired.

"Let's go to the balcony." She suggested.

He nodded. Draco thought it was a great idea. He followed that mysterious woman to the balcony.

"Such a beautiful night." She sighed looking up to the sky. There were no clouds and the white light of the moon illuminated the whole patio of the school. "It's been so long."

"Yes…" He agreed to both her statements.

Draco was counting the minutes to midnight. Even if he only chatted with her for a few moments, he was entranced by her, there was something so compelling about her; He wanted to know who she was.

But the hours seemed to pass so slowly. Not that he minded, that way he even had more time to get to know each other. A woman as her, so passionate about life, so intelligent, so independent. Yes, that was what he wanted. He just wondered if that much independence was good. If she agreed to date him. Wait. He was going too far ahead again. He had to calm down.

 **~X~**

"One minute to midnight!" Someone announced.

Everyone stopped dancing and the music the orchestra played changed. There was some sort of restless energy in the crowd. Both Hermione and Draco were excited. They stood side by side, peeking every once in a while to see if they were still there.

"5… 4... 3…. 2… 1..."

The bell rang.

Draco felt his heart beating against his ribcage, faster and faster.

Hermione held her breath.

They both turned to face each other.

The spell started to wear out and their eyes could identify familiar features. Way too familiar. And none of them could hold back the surprise on their voice and faces.

"Draco?!"

"Hermione?!"


End file.
